Quote: ore than 10 people have been killed after Israeli commandos stormed a convoy of ships carrying aid to the Gaza Strip, the Israeli army says.

Armed forces boarded the largest vessel overnight, clashing with some of the 500 people on board.

It happened about 40 miles (64 km) out to sea, in international waters.

Israel says its soldiers were shot at and attacked with weapons; the activists say Israeli troops came on board shooting.

There has been widespread condemnation of the violence, with several countries summoning the Israeli ambassadors serving there.

UN chief Ban Ki-moon said he was "shocked by reports of killings and injuries" and called for a "full investigation" into what happened.

'Guns and knives'
The six-ship flotilla, carrying 10,000 tonnes of aid, left the coast of Cyprus on Sunday and had been due to arrive in Gaza on Monday. Israel had repeatedly said the boats would not be allowed to reach Gaza.

Israel says its soldiers boarded the lead ship in the early hours but were attacked with axes, knives, bars and at least two guns.

ANALYSIS

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Jonathan Marcus
BBC diplomatic correspondent
This was always going to be a high-risk operation for Israel both in terms of reputation and diplomatic repercussions.

Taking over vessels at sea is no easy task, even if the units carrying out the mission are well-trained, and it is especially difficult if the people already on board the vessels resist.

The full details of what happened will emerge in time, but in political terms the damage has already been done.

The deaths threaten to make what was always going to be a potential public relations disaster for Israel into a fully-fledged calamity.

"Unfortunately this group were dead-set on confrontation," Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev told the BBC.

"Live fire was used against our forces. They initiated the violence, that's 100% clear," he said.

Organisers of the flotilla said at least 30 people were wounded in the incident. Israel says 10 of its soldiers were injured, one seriously.

A leader of Israel's Islamic Movement, Raed Salah, who was on board, was among those hurt.

Audrey Bomse, a spokesperson for the Free Gaza Movement, which is behind the convoy, told the BBC Israel's actions were disproportionate.

"We were not going to pose any violent resistance. The only resistance that there might be would be passive resistance such as physically blocking the steering room, or blocking the engine room downstairs, so that they couldn't get taken over. But that was just symbolic resistance."

She said there was "absolutely no evidence of live fire".

Israel is towing the boats to the port of Ashdod and says it will deport the passengers from there. It says it will deliver the ships' aid to Gaza.

Condemnation
Turkish TV pictures taken on board the Turkish ship leading the flotilla appeared to show Israeli soldiers fighting to control passengers.

GAZA AID CONVOY

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Consists of three cargo ships and three passenger ships
Casualties reported on the Mavi Marmara passenger ferry
Mavi Marmara is one of three ships provided by Insani Yardim Vakfi (IHH), a Turkish aid organisation with links to the Turkish government
Other ships are organised by the Free Gaza Movement, an international coalition of activist groups
Up to 600 mostly Turkish passengers, tonnes of cement and at least two journalists on board the Mavi Marmara
In pictures: Aid ship stormed
Reaction to Gaza aid ship deaths
Guide: Gaza under blockade
The footage showed a number of people, apparently injured, lying on the ground. A woman was seen holding a blood-stained stretcher.

Al-Jazeera TV reported from the same ship that Israeli navy forces had opened fire and boarded the vessel, wounding the captain.

Israel's deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon said his country "regrets any loss of life and did everything to avoid this outcome".

He accused the convoy of a "premeditated and outrageous provocation", describing the flotilla as an "armada of hate".

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas condemned Israel's actions, saying it had committed a massacre, while Hamas said Israel had committed a "great crime and a huge violation of international law".

Turkey, whose nationals comprised the majority of those on board, accused Israel of "targeting innocent civilians".

Danny Ayalon, Israeli deputy foreign minister: "The organisers' intent was violent."
Turkey was Israel's closest Muslim ally but relations have deteriorated over the past few years.

In Turkey, thousands of protesters demonstrated against Israel in Istanbul, while several countries have summoned Israeli ambassadors to seek an explanation as to what happened.

Greece has withdrawn from joint military exercises with Israel in protest at the raid on the flotilla.

Blockade
Israel had repeatedly said it would stop the boats, calling the campaign a "provocation intended to delegitimise Israel".

Israel and Egypt tightened a blockade of Gaza after the Islamist movement Hamas took power there in 2007.

Israel says it allows about 15,000 tonnes of humanitarian aid into Gaza every week.

But the United Nations says this is less than a quarter of what is needed.

The incident comes a day before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is due to meet US President Barack Obama in Washington after one of the most strained periods in US-Israeli relations in years.

Do you know someone aboard these ships? What is your reaction to this story? Send us your comments, pictures and videos.

So i guess international waters is now added to the list that currently contains "hotels" ... seriously, that country really is run by a bunch of bastards

Mon May 31, 2010 7:03 am

Jack

Joined: 10 Dec 2007
Posts: 683

let's wait for full story before we instantly bash israel.

Mon May 31, 2010 7:09 am

mancabbage

Joined: 29 Jun 2005
Posts: 9285
Location: london

Quote: The BBC is interviewing Dancy Danon from Israel live now. The BBC are walking over their message - letting them say their thing, but then showing them to be inconsistent liars just by posing back their statements to them as questions.
Dancy says the boats were full of terrorists. The interviewer asks what evidence there is. Dancy then spouts out a load of shit. The interviewer then asks again, "back to the question I just asked", what evidence there is that these boats are full of terrorists? Dancy then says, "perhaps some of them are not terrorists, but they attacked the soldiers with guns as they boarded and that shows what they all are".

Last edited by Z-0 on Mon May 31, 2010 7:49 am; edited 1 time in total

Mon May 31, 2010 7:38 am

icarus502kung-pwn master

Joined: 01 Jul 2002
Posts: 11291
Location: ann arbor

Jack wrote: let's wait for full story before we instantly bash israel.

At least 19 killed now. Can we "bash" yet?

Mon May 31, 2010 7:44 am

Jared Paul

Joined: 15 Jul 2002
Posts: 3719
Location: www.PrayersForAtheists.org

There are many Israeli people against zionism, violence, racism, and apartheid... definitely can't unilaterally blame all Israeli people for what their fucked up leadership does, but the Israeli government/IDF? We don't have have to wait to bash them any more than we have to wait to bash Halliburton or the U.S. government, or U.S. troops who murder.

I'd also like to make that clear for the record: I support the troops in coming home, I support them in refusing orders, I support them in resisting deployment- I do not support them in their participation in invasion or occupation, not at all.

Mon May 31, 2010 8:02 am

Asterax

Joined: 21 Nov 2002
Posts: 1883
Location: Maine

I could see Sage or B. using the word "flotilla" in their next verse.

In regards the issue: I think this will be a game changer.

Mon May 31, 2010 8:09 am

icarus502kung-pwn master

Joined: 01 Jul 2002
Posts: 11291
Location: ann arbor

Jared Paul wrote: There are many Israeli people against zionism, violence, racism, and apartheid... definitely can't unilaterally blame all Israeli people for what their fucked up leadership does, but the Israeli government/IDF?

Of course but in this context "Israel" means its government, military, ruling class, political arms and the intelligentsia diaspora (particularly in the US) that supports them. When I say "Israel" I mean Joe Lieberman and Marty Peretz as much as I mean Netanyahu.

Mon May 31, 2010 8:13 am

mzehe916

Joined: 04 Aug 2006
Posts: 4544
Location: Switzerland

Scientists>Israel

Mon May 31, 2010 9:33 am

neveragainlikesheep

Joined: 22 May 2008
Posts: 2536
Location: TKO from Tokyo

Jack wrote: let's wait for full story before we instantly bash israel.

Oh fuck off. The commandos boarded an aid convoy and started shooting people when they got their weapons taken from them. If they hadn't boarded in the first place shit wouldn't have gone this way.

Why don't we get our facts straight before we rush to stop people who already do from talking about the situation.

Jack wrote: let's wait for full story before we instantly bash israel.

Thats absolute bullshit. This has been isreal's m.o. They commit attrocities like this then claim its self-defense. Bullshit. And israel will keep doing this shit until someone repremands them. They like the spoiled kid of the west. They get away with shit no other nation can get away with. And it's at the expense of the palestinians. This is just one of a thousand things we can bash israel for. There needs to be an "ultimate bash israel thread" where all their attrocities can be under their thread. It could set a record for most pages on this board. Its seriously that much.

That countries actions can suck a fat one, there should be a worldwide boycott of their exports

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^ israel firing on the civilians before they boarded.

I don't say he "spanked." More like a talking down to. But Israel continued to build settlements regardless and all the nations do is say "stop" There is no enforcement of international law when it comes to Israel. And its a shame. Everyone has seemed to bury the Goldstone report regarding the previous massacre in Gaza, although it is a report of tremendous impact. But whatever, lets buy our child a toy.